Aussie Milers at Games: PATHETIC!

It's the Olympics. Those guys laid down the WORST performances of any Aussie distance runners at the Olympic Games, EVER!

Maybe so, but in their defense they were pathetically useless before they got to Beijing. What did you really expect?

What a brave soul you must be! Bravo.

Does this make you feel like a big man - attacking olympic athletes from behind your dorm-room computer screen? Questioning whether they were really sick from your parents' basement?

Or are you in the olympic village preparing for the 1500m final? I didn't think so.

Grow up.

Daniel Hill

The state of Athletics in Australia is Pathetic.

Why would anyone with talent persue an Athletics career here?

The money and lifestyle offered by other sports is way to tempting for anyone with Talent.

To say that money is not the reason is Naive.

A poor Performance at Olympic Level tho dissappointing to the Athletes is Great for a change in attitude for the people that provide the funding.

From Memory-The Australian Institute of Sport was set up by the Fraser government after a particularly Poor Performance by an Australian Olympic Team.

A criticism of a sporting performance is not an attack. Any sportsman who puts out a schoolboy performance while wearing the national uniform should expect it.

It's amazing....all you nameless, faceless superstars who won't sign your name to your posts. Why? Because the rest of us could find your pb's online and perhaps also come across some results you might not be happy with due to sickness/injury/illness.

These guys trained hard, qualified for the team, and were unlucky enough to get sick in the week before their race. The American 800m runner, Nicole Teter, came down with the same illness and dropped out after 100m.

They are both young, but hopefully mature enough to ignore bitter "never has beens" like you and go on to great careers.

Sign your name to your posts (but make sure you've never had an off day or a bad race).

First make sure you have never criticized a sportsperson for under-performing

I wasn't good enough to make an olympic team, which is why I respect anyone who is. I will never criticize someone for doing their best, especially under trying circumstances.

Out of interest, why so bitter? (and since you won't reveal your name, you should be able to answer honestly)

Never made the commitment necessary to reach the top and now feel the need to tear others down to mask your regret?

Injury or illness prevented you from reaching your potential, leaving you with unaswered questions?

Perhaps you're just a pimple-faced teenager who gets off on anonymous postings about elite level athletes who are much better then you will ever be?

It's easy to criticize on these message boards - not so easy to make an olympic team.

Daniel Hill

Hilly, don't get sucked in to this game. You are probably talking to some 12 year boy who doesn't have a clue what he/she is talking about. Just let it go. Hope you are well mate.

JR

Mr Rinaldi

i have read many of your posts from trackchat and like what you say. What is your honest opinion on these 1500m runners, Nic Bidoo and now Benita Johnson's average performance?

mainly i'm asking because Bidoo pushed Riseley into the Osaka team where he failed to run well and now Bidoo has also pushed Riseley into the Beijing team where a similar thing happened (actually worse).

Sick or not - sickness is a thing maintained by elite athletes and although sometimes unavoidable is mostly preventable (and needs to be prevented when it is Olympic time).

I also draw your attention to Paul Byrne and Paul Cleary - two supertalented MD runners from Australia who were both stuffed upagain by the Bidoo factor and never came close to their potential.

ps i am waiting with bated breath on Mottram now - Bidoo is proving so far to be a charlatan!

What is your honest opinion please?

I too am very disappointed with Athletics Australia, athletics in Australia is a joke under the current administration!

They give little confidence to the up and comers of the future.

Is this bidoo person part of the administration?

I think you will find that Paurl Bryne's career ended abrubtly due to an injury of which Bideau had nothing to do with.

I think you will also find that Paul Cleary's career ended abrubtly due to terrible bouts of chronic fatigue also of which Bideau had nothing to do with.

Risely ran ok a Osaka. It was not bad for a first up champioship run. Jeffs season has been great so far, nothing that can be complained about. Except now after a shocker due to sickness its time to question everything?

Without Nic Bideau...

Riseley would not be on a reasonably hefty Nike Contract and running 3.36. Nor would he be an olympian.

Mitch Kealey would NOT ever had run 3.36 and made an olympics.

Collis Birmingham would still be running 13.40s.

Andrew Baddeley would be yet another British MD failed prospect, rather than olympic medal prospect.

The "Cathy Freeman moment" would NEVER have happened.

Australia would still me without a female world XC champion.

Maurie Plant would be a nobody with no pull in athletics and the Melbourne Grand prix would still be only attended by a few men and their dogs, not the 10000 of recent years.

Eloise Wellings, Mellisa rollison, Vicki Mitchell would all have ammounted to not much.

etc etc

I could rattle on for a while.

You could rattle on as you are but still your opinion will be clearly biased. So lets see. I wonder how proud riseley is of his olympic performance. Lets see how psychologically he will be in future after his first 2 rep team results. Is a nike contract worth it? See bidoo promises you the world. Fast tracks you into the high life of athletics instead of earning it on your own merits. Dangerous.

I don't disagree bidoo can help in the short term. Increased professionalism is what he does for people. Because he doesn't understand coaching it is only a short term thing. Mottram and johnson are not improving anymore. Explain her marathon result. Explain mottram's lack of a PR in his main event since 2003 as well please.

More. It is the considered opinion of many true coaches in australia that cathy freeman could have been so much better and all bidoo did was limit her potential. And mr plant was around for years before bidoo arrived. He was banned from oz aths for 10 years for drug scandal. Bidoo and him are mates yes? Oh and melb GP was 15000+ in the 90s and has not been over 10k for many years. History lesson.

Do you want anymore? It's people like you that need help. You have fallen under his svengali ways as well. When athletics australia realise bidoo is bad news they will exorcise him from their inner circle. When CEO Danny Corcoran realises this aths in Australia can begin to heal. Until then???

Wow...and my opinion is bias??

Maybe so. Bias is in everyone.

1. Jeff will almost be psychologically recovered now. He will not cry himself to sleep for 2 years. Incredibly dissapointed yes, forever distraught? No.

I think a contract that allows you to be a 9-5 track athlete from age 21 is worth something in this day and age.

Id rather a fast tracking than a 8 year hard slog for some measly toyota deal or maccas ad.

2. El guerrouj didnt impove his main event for 5-6 years. Did his coach do a bad job too?

I think the sport had passed Benita. The same way tennis passed Llyeton Hewitt. Explain Radcliffes result in Athens? Where is her improvement been lately? Her coach must be rubbish too.

Mottram 5000m ran Pbs in 2004. History lesson

3. These true coaches are? Oh yeah...the ones without any coaching blemishs. Not many in that group. By true coaches you probably mean the jealous, bitter, have to fall into line and shit can bideau ones?

I dont argue that the later 90s GPs were the biggest. Coincided with a Bideau influenced Freeman and MTC.

But you cant argue that the crowds have improved dramatically in the last 3 years.

4. I would love more. This is intresting. Beats channel 7s aths coverage.

Ive fallen one way, you have fallen into that bitter abyss that is the rest of Australian Track and Field.

Cant exorise him. That exorcises some heavy hitters in media etc. That exorcises Mottram. That exorcises the interest. That exorcises the crowds. That exorcises Track in Australia.

Aths in Australia is healing. Unless you have been under some form of rock you would see this.

Not much you say has any truth to it. I just want to see some light at the end of this dark tunnel we are in. That is where i am coming from. By the way jeff was trying to qualify for his previous main event via 800m. Oops. Could have been a good oops but now we see it ain't. So much effort to make the team nothing left for the games. Bidoo should stick to what he is good at. Management.